GNUPG 1.0.6 --passphrase-fd

[Gilvar, Jon]

I apparently don't have a clue and am proving it with my following request.
 
I am trying to script an automated procedure on Solaris 5.8 to unencrypt a
gnupg file. I am getting hung up on the --passphrase-fd (n) command; the
documentation for this command is somewhat lacking, I have found some
external references on what (n) is used for; none of which work correctly.

I have verbose logging on; these are the scrapes from the outputs.  

root@mmksun5[/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin]
$ ./gpg --homedir /XXXX/bin/keys_lib/ --debug-all --passphrase-fd 3
/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/pass/pf -o /XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/testout/jon.gpg  -d
/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/testin/draf.pgp 
gpg: reading options from `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//options'
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_open (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg) miss
gpg: DBG: iobuf-1.0: open `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg' fd=4
gpg: DBG: iobuf-1.0: close `file_filter(fd)'
gpg: DBG: /XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg: close fd 4
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_close (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg) new
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_open (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg) miss
gpg: DBG: iobuf-2.0: open `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg' fd=5
gpg: DBG: iobuf-2.0: close `file_filter(fd)'
gpg: DBG: /XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg: close fd 5
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_close (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg) new
Reading passphrase from file descriptor 3 ...gpg: out of secure memory while
allocating 1800 bytes
gpg: (this may be caused by too many secret keys used simultaneously or due
to excessive large key sizes)

root@mmksun5[/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin]
$ ./gpg --homedir /XXXX/bin/keys_lib/ --debug-all --passphrase-fd 0
/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/pass/pf2 -o /XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/testout/jon.gpg  -d
/XXXX/bin/gnugp/bin/testin/draf.pgp 
gpg: reading options from `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//options'
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_open (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg) miss
gpg: DBG: iobuf-1.0: open `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg' fd=4
gpg: DBG: iobuf-1.0: close `file_filter(fd)'
gpg: DBG: /XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg: close fd 4
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_close (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//secring.gpg) new
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_open (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg) miss
gpg: DBG: iobuf-2.0: open `/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg' fd=5
gpg: DBG: iobuf-2.0: close `file_filter(fd)'
gpg: DBG: /XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg: close fd 5
gpg: DBG: fd_cache_close (/XXXX/bin/keys_lib//pubring.gpg) new
Reading passphrase from file descriptor 0 ... At this point the PID just
stays in this state; Hung.       

 Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

I can get the process to work if I create a key with no Passphrase, but
dosent that negate the PGP process or is the Passphrase only part of the PGP
process.?

Reguards

Jon....